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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23817703">Honor Guard</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/pseuds/Project0506'>Project0506</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rex adopts a Jedi [28]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Multi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:46:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,180</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23817703</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Project0506/pseuds/Project0506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Vod'alor has asked Torrent to ensure none of the Novas have to be alone on the way back to the Front.  Torrent takes to the task with enthusiasm.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CT 7567 | Rex/CC-1138 | Bacara/Kit Fisto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rex adopts a Jedi [28]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1684942</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>550</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Honor Guard</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So this is from a couple of different places: if your idea was in this please let me know I've been bad at who asked what!<br/>1) The Twins ganging up on someone<br/>2) Give Torrent the Novas to terrify/viciously snuggle<br/>3) Anakin being integrated with the Vode now that he's Clan<br/>4) Oh Force Please Let Rex Have A Happy Ending<br/>5) We LOVE Bacara<br/>6) We love Kit too<br/>7) How will you choose???<br/>Projie: .... what is this 'choose'</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“DISENFRANCHISED!” The Five-o-clock-shadow bellows at the holoimage. He’s perched in a place of dishonor on a large, ornately carved wooden chair, plushly cushioned with a sign stating ‘Dumbass of the Week’ dangling from the back. “It’s <em>clearly</em> ‘disenfranchised’ you empty bucket!” He’s in a leg cast, injured leg propped up on what looks like an exploded Seppie ammo can, edges filed down and filled with sealant.</p><p> </p><p>The Sullustan on screen does not guess ‘disenfranchised’. As a choir, the entire squad boos viciously and pelt the holoscreen with roasted nuts. It’s an eight man squad, but the eighth is a nat-born. Jedi, or at least a man in GAR regulation off-duty clothes but carrying a Jedi saber. None of Bacara’s Novas know quite what to do with this. Or with the rain of roasted nuts, frankly.</p><p> </p><p>Rothax tries to become one with the couch. It’s a massive, Krill-shaped thing that Bacara <em>knows</em> isn’t stock. Stock doesn’t carry worn-in, butter-soft leatheris couches that threaten to swallow you when you sit and make it difficult to get up. Rothax seems to have decided to risk being forever trapped in the couch, if it means he can inch just a bit more away from V Tattoo.</p><p> </p><p>V Tattoo, is the vod <em>most</em> annoyed with the Sullustan, after Five-o-clock-shadow. He. <em>Punctuates</em>. Bodily. Rothax has had to rescue his drink twice that Bacara could see, before he decided just to drain it. He’d retreat entirely, but whenever he moves he drags V’s attention back to him like a mouse alerts a nexu, and Rothax is promptly dragged back into whatever discussion V’s moved to.</p><p> </p><p>Daan has a half-a-lapful of Baby-Face, and shoulder-full of Goatee. He looks delightedly alarmed by both. Goatee keeps turning to talk to him and accidentally brushing a nose against his jaw. Baby-Face keeps wriggling to get comfortable. Bacara worries for his blood pressure. Bacara worries that this is what Torrent thinks is subtle flirting.</p><p> </p><p>Teardrop Tattoo has commandeered the left-most elbow of the couch. He’s got Krestor on the floor between his legs, blinking like he’s trying to prove he’s no more than half asleep while Teardrop gently runs a thick bristled brush through his wavy hair. The nat-born’s lying on his stomach, stretched across both of Krestor’s knees.</p><p> </p><p>On screen, a mostly-human contestant spins a wheel, asks for a Nern and gets two of them. She doesn’t guess ‘disenfranchised’ either. The squad pelts more nuts.</p><p> </p><p>“'Alor<a href="#mandoadefinition" id="mandoadefinitionback" name="mandoadefinitionback"><sup>1</sup></a> gave us very strict instructions.”</p><p> </p><p>Bacara turns his head slightly. Rex appears from the shadows around what Bacara is sure is billed as a briefing and assembly room, nearly silent like a stalking predator. Bacara would know, without anyone needing to say so, that Rex had been the one to train that squad. They move like him. Deadly. Bacara has a vague moment of disappointment that he never did manage to get Rex for the Marines.</p><p> </p><p>“What instructions? Inflict garbage holovision on the Marines?”</p><p> </p><p>Rex glances at the screen, looks vaguely pained. “Anakin. He’s addicted to old-people game shows.”</p><p> </p><p>The last two squad members look up when Rex looks in. Regulation Flat-top has been perched on the right-most elbow of the couch, butt on the back, feet on the seat. He’d been watching the squad more than the screen, Bacara had noticed. He signs a brisk ‘<em>All clear</em>’, and Rex nods.</p><p> </p><p>The last, Undercut, has the unenviable job of replacing everyone’s snacks. He waves merrily from the large cabinet where everything seems stored.</p><p> </p><p>“They’re fine, Commander,” Rex murmurs. When he tugs at Bacara’s arm, he lets himself be led away. “Cody wanted to make sure none of you were alone on the trip back. He regrets needing to send you back at all.”</p><p> </p><p>Bacara breathes through the faint dismay. He packs it away. He knows duty in his heart. It’s not time for ‘alor to move yet. When it is, he’ll call the Novas home from the battlefields they’ve been exiled to. He’s promised that they’ll again never spend years cut off from brothers, whittled down to brittle nerves and desperate eyes. He’s promised that he will not let Novas fall, their names forgotten.</p><p> </p><p>The ‘alor has promised, and Bacara’s job is to keep his Novas until then.</p><p> </p><p>And Torrent’s, it seems, is to smother them viciously until they’re delivered back to the front.</p><p> </p><p>He’s glad. His men need it.</p><p> </p><p>Third shift halls are peaceful, darkened to maintain a day-night cycle and lightly staffed while they’re in hyperspace. Stars smear brilliant tails outside port holes, dropping round dots of light down the shadowed walkways. It’s a balm of a moment, made sweeter by the press of Rex’s shoulder against his.</p><p> </p><p>He lets Rex subtly herd him, pushing back every now and then to see the amused flash in the Captain’s eyes, the huff of annoyance and the extra hard nudge it earns him to keep him on the right path. Their feet take them up to officers’, and Bacara is quietly nudged through the door before he realizes it’s not Rex’s bunk.</p><p> </p><p>“Found him then?” Jedi Master Kit Fisto smiles, bare-chested and languid, reclined across the unreasonably sized bed they stock in Generals’ quarters.</p><p> </p><p>Fisto mostly stopped wearing under-uppers sometime between Torrent being informed they would be escorting Master Fisto to his next mission and him occupying the quarters Torrent’s Jedi had all but abandoned to bunk down with his squad.</p><p> </p><p>In retrospect, it probably happened sometime after the very serious discussion Fisto had had with Rex about living in the moment and not being ruled by fear of the future. It had most certainly happened before last night when Bacara had found himself caught between two gorgeous forms and kissed punch drunk.</p><p> </p><p>This Jedi’s tunics <em>gape</em> in a way Bacara is quite sure is not standard to the order.</p><p> </p><p>“Fussing,” Rex agrees, and General Fisto laughs low and warm in from his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“Ever diligent,” he teases, “one of your many attractive qualities.”</p><p> </p><p>Bacara is sputtering too hard to hard to fight back when Rex tips him onto the bed and into Fisto’s arms. “Cody’s orders,” he reminds blandly, and scrambles in behind him.</p><p> </p><p>“My <em>boots</em>,” Bacara protests, and flushes when both men chuckle. Perhaps that wasn’t the main consideration here.</p><p> </p><p>His boots unlace themselves, peel delicately from his feet and flow to settle neatly next to the bed. Bacara wets his suddenly dry lips. “Handy.”</p><p> </p><p>Fisto smirks, and it changes his entire face into something just as predatory as Rex and the brood he’s training. He can see how his partner fell for this man. “I’ve found it so,” he purrs. There’s just enough room between their faces for Fisto’s hand to rest, palm up and fingers curled. Rex coils, hot and pressing against his back, chin propped on Bacara’s shoulder. It feels as though the galaxy outside is cut off from Bacara, caught as he is between the two. He eyes them both speculatively and they watch him back, patient.</p><p> </p><p>Bacara can maybe see himself interested in an encore of last night.</p><p> </p><p>He pulls Fisto in and trusts Rex to follow.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p><a id="mandoadefinition" name="mandoadefinition"></a>1. Head, Chief, in context, clan head. <a href="#mandoadefinitionback">Back</a><br/></p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29872398">Knitting is Soldier’s Work</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Trudemaethien/pseuds/Trudemaethien">Trudemaethien</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
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